A monthly magazine about home decor and the domestic lifestyle, Better Homes and Gardens made its debut in 1922 as Fruit, Garden, and Home. It was the brainchild of Edwin T. Meredith (1876–1928), who had first proposed the concept in 1913 as an advertisement in his magazine, Successful Farming. The name was changed to Better Homes and Gardens in 1924. The magazine came on the scene during the period of rapid social change that followed World War I (1914–18). The census of 1920 revealed that more Americans were then living in cities and towns than in rural areas for the first time in the country's history. From its early days, Better Homes and Gardens became an important resource used to define and promote the new urban and suburban lifestyles.

From the beginning, Better Homes and Gardens published a combination of articles on design, decor, cooking, and gardening. The...